You Can’t Box God In :: By Jim Towers

As much as we’d like to box God into our own way of thinking or to confine Him to our reality, we can’t. He does what He wants, said what He would do and is going to do. President Trump is a good case in point. Who would have thought a mere run-of-the-mill successful man could be elevated to the position of an American president? I’m being facetious of course, but just think about it; the president before him was only a rabble rouser, drug addict, sexual deviant and a Muslim to boot. Apparently, this was done by the Almighty to bring down the haughty criminals in our government.

Is He stoppable? Certainly not. Is there anything He can’t do? No. Consider the many universes out there in the heavenlies which are constantly expanding out even further and no one can stop them. Our Divine Creator is amazing and unfathomable. To think we can improve on His ways or His word (the Holy Bible) is complete and utter folly. Even so, many Christians pretend or really believe to know God better than He knows himself.

Just when our Christian country was at the brink of collapse by those who would do us harm – God intervenes with this man who would confound the “wise,” turning the whole world on its ugly head. A world fraught with revelry, confusion, criminality and fear. This is a man who says things that right-thinking people were all thinking. The words just tumble out of his mouth and from his fingers on twitter without a second thought. How clever it is for him to circumvent the press – who would have put words in his mouth or skewered the facts – no matter how noble.

By this miraculous happenstance we should know that, like it or not – God is in control.

Some of us have studied in seminary, others in Bible classes, and they think they know as much as they need to know about the God of the universe. Still though, He is even grander than we might imagine and cannot be boxed into our way of thinking. To think that He is only manlike with special abilities is being shortsighted. Can we make anything, anything at all just by calling it into being? Why, we can’t raise the dead or even so much as create an egg. Jesus can and did.

Yet too many Christians believe that God is their Santa Claus and that He will give them anything they please when we have all we really need on a daily basis. Jesus said that you already have a life and a body and if God clothes the lilies of the field won’t he certainly clothe you?

This mighty and awesome God can and does work miracles – even today. The problem is that most of us want results now – and without even being thankful for our daily bread – especially in public. Did it ever occur to you that sometimes God must set things in order to deliver on your prayer, something like bringing a reluctant player into your life? I’m sure there are many players and participants who just won’t budge until they are forced to do so on your behalf. Others just want to remain sleeping under a rock. But not to worry, God will eventually bring things about to our benefit, while at the same time testing us.

In any case, whatever the outcome, it is ultimately for your benefit if you belong to Him. “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose.” The secret to really knowing God is to do His bidding in accordance with His written word. Who doesn’t enjoy and want to gift an obedient child, especially if that child belongs to you?

Jesus said to learn of God, to love God and your fellow man, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind…Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.”

That scripture verse leads me to write about an encounter I had recently with a homeless man.

I met the man in the Florida Keys while diving for lobster. He was sitting on a plot of land that once held a popular restaurant that was destroyed by Hurricane Irma. The plot of land was like a tiny island surrounded by submerged rocks, which made it an ideal place to get lobster. Jose sat alone on one of the boat ramp’s remains. Sitting in the shade of a palm tree, he was drinking a beer. Feeling the urge to do so, I approached the fifty-something-year-old Cuban man. Surprisingly, he was friendly and articulate despite his looks. Sporting a deep tan, he let it be known that he was a Christian – but not a Catholic.

Without prompting he began talking about the state of the nation and about the end times when I told him I was also a Christian. We must have talked for an hour or more. Sensing that the man did not have much interaction with others, I let him use me as a sounding board. He told me his life story and how his wife had left him ten years earlier to raise a daughter while she pursued a life of drug use. He put her through college, and today she is a medical technician somewhere up north.

In any case, the man was not a loser but was only waiting to recover benefits from medical problems due to his work as a heavy equipment operator. He lived on that island in the bushes, not wanting to burden others with his infirmities.

As we talked about spiritual matters, I corrected some misconceptions he had about the rapture and end times. He welcomed the things I shared with him as he asked questions. I finished the divine appointment by asking if he wanted prayer – the man gave me his hand to do so.

Everything we do for power and self-esteem is folly; eventually all life ends, and you can’t take anything with you. Even King Solomon said “Vanity of vanities! All is vanity.” Life without a sense of purpose and God is futile. Is it any wonder there are so many suicides in our country? Even celebrities and the wealthy are hanging it up literally – and that by doorknobs.

Only in God’s loving arms can we find peace and safety.

You’ve got to go to www.fbcn and view last Sunday’s sermon, the 12th of August. Pastor Hayes Wicker is one of the last great Bible expositors in this time of apostasy. There are no cheesy tears and phony cracking voice with this man of God.

Our lovely soloist Lindsey Graham came back to us after a trip away. She never fails to uplift us with her many talents and professionalism. You can see her perform last Sunday the 12th on the same website. What a gem!